A big change will likely happen soon at least one restaurant in the Hampton Beach Casino complex

By Kyle Stucker

Hampton-NorthHamptonPatch.com, October 10, 2012

This is an aerial photo of the Hampton Beach Casino complex, which includes the Casino Ballroom, as well as the water slide and several other properties on a parcel to the right of the Casino that is also owned by Sal Lupoli and Lupoli companies. Also shown in the photo is the Seashell Complex, Oceanfront Pavilion and Seashell Stage. [Credit Lupoli Companies]

Sal Lupoli of Sal's Pizza fame has made his presence felt at Hampton Beach in several tangible ways since he purchased the Casino property earlier this year, although the first easily noticeable sign of Lupoli's influence is likely coming soon.

Lupoli hinted Tuesday during an introductory meeting with local officials and residents about his plans for the Casino property that a name change is likely in store for the Whale's Tale.

The Whale's Tale underwent significant changes this summer, and Lupoli said these changes were possible thanks to a partnership he struck with a local entrepreneur looking to run the restaurant.

Lupoli, whose restaurant Salvatore's is the flagship business of his Riverwalk campus in Lawrence, Mass., said the Whale's Tale will likely change its name before next season, making it the first recognizable change for casual visitors of the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom and surrounding businesses.

"I think the Whale's Tale will be expanded," said Lupoli. "I think you'll see a renaming of that business. I think you'll see the Salvatore's name up there."

Lupoli to date has made about $500,000 worth of improvements to the Casino complex, including the full replacement of the Casino Ballroom's back stairs, a fresh coat of paint. Lupoli also helped bring in the Coffee Cann Café to replace Dunkin’ Donuts, which elected to leave the facility.

He said he plans to remove the kiosks in the front of the complex in order to “open up” the Casino to pedestrians and make it more “inviting,” and he said he plans to do similar work to the second story. Any businesses displaced by the work will be relocated to other portions of the property, said Lupoli.

Lupoli said the next steps are to pick an architect for some of that work, as well as continue the dialogue and meetings with local residents, officials and business owners about what should be done with the property as a whole.

There is no firm timeline for this work, and Lupoli said it would likely take more than five years to fully develop and grow the area into a mutually-beneficial entity.

"This is going to be a slow, methodical process," said Lupoli, who said he’ll perform a major facelift or alteration to the Casino complex if that is what the majority of the community desires. "I look at my business as a marathon. This is not a sprint... This is not happening overnight."